


Promises

by JamoonX



Series: From teacher/student to rivals to lovers [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27934714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamoonX/pseuds/JamoonX
Summary: Sequel to 'Kiss under the stars.' It had been a long time, 5 years to be precise. A promise from long ago had to be fulfilled. Spoilers for FE:3H. I don't own Fire Emblem.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Leonie Pinelli
Series: From teacher/student to rivals to lovers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2045536
Kudos: 3





	Promises

He had been back. 5 long years, but he came back after all.

She remembered the day back then clearly. The Empire raided the monastery. Soldiers were fighting and killing, merchants had to run, students were scared and confused. The Golden Deers were the first to act. Of course, Byleth had been a major factor for that. At first, everyone was petrified seeing hordes of Demonic Beasts and an unlimited amount of Imperial soldiers marching towards them, their only intent to kill everything in their sight not walking under an Adrestian banner.

But he had been there, like always. Fierce, seemingly unmoved by the events. He encouraged them, helped them up and to overcome their fears.

Leonie was ashamed thinking about that day, how she stood there, bow in hand, and knees shaking. They fought people, even monsters before, but the sheer number of enemies pouring in was just too much. This was no skirmish against some bandits, this was no hunt for food, this was war.

She remembered the hand that landed on her shoulders, and watched into his eyes. These green eyes she always let herself get lost in during class. No words were necessary. They had made a promise, that once she would graduate, he would take her on a date, and she'd be damned if she let the Empire destroy it right in front of her eyes.

She nodded, and ran with him. Not for a single second did she not stay at his side. Every incoming soldier daring to raise a lance or sword was greeted by an arrow. No one would come through.

For only one second she turned away, focused on someone trying to kill Marianne. When she looked back again, Byleth was gone. He stood at a cliff just a few metres away, which broke apart. She could only shout 'No!' in horror, while the sound of her professor falling to his demise filled her ears.

She wanted to break down, to scream, to cry while someone would certainly come over to kill her and take her incoming suffering right away. She didn't. She fought her way out of the monastery, together with the retreating Golden Deers, and sought refuge in her old hometown.

There, in her old room at her parents house, she finally let out all the tears. In her hand was a hunting dagger, the one Byleth got her for her birthday. She recalled the note that was attached to it once she opened it up.

'For the prettiest girl and best huntress in the monastery. Happy birthday, Leonie.

Yours sincerely, B. E.'

Her head in that moment was as red as it could get. She didn't wonder for one second what B. E. meant, it was perfectly obvious to her. He reassured her of his opinion about her looks when she asked him after class, only he would drop a note like that.

Through her blurry, teary eyed vision, she eyed the sharp object carefully. She never once used it for hunting anything. For some it may be just a simple, replacable knife, and everyone always wondered why Leonie had a hunting knife that she wouldn't use.

Of course, she lied about it, saying it was very rare and she wouldn't want to waste something so valuable. It was not true, obviously, but no one paid it any more attention. Well, no one except Hilda of course.

'It's just weird Leonie. You never care very much for any material possession, especially not hunting equipment. Now, you have a new knife and won't use it because it's too valuable. What's the point in buying a knife when you won't use it anyway?', Hilda had wondered, her confused frown on her face.

'Well, it just is. If it's valuable then I can resell it one day and have even more equipment, that's all.', Leonie had explained. Hilda inspected her carefully, and then smirked with mischief.

'How weird, talking about future investments while you're blushing. Say, Leonie, is there any chance this dagger was a present from your dear professor? Your birthday was just the other day, wasn't it?'

Leonie had to laugh, despite her tears of sadness. Of course, Hilda could see through her blatant lie. She always knew that Leonie had a very hard crush on her professor. She realized that even more when she was met with mostly knowing glances while telling her how she kissed Byleth at the ball. Was she that obvious?

The ball. Fresh tears leaked when she realized that her promise to Byleth had been in vain. Had the Goddess mocked her, making her wish impossible to become true? Did she not deserve to have her love story?

Not only did they lose their monastery, their classes, their home, their friends. She also lost her professor.

Her love.

She remembered how Jeralt made her promise, a week before he died, to protect Byleth if he was no more. She had been confused when he told her that, but he simply snickered and smiled right at her, not backing down until she promised.

Her cheeks had become red, they started to do that a lot. Even Jeralt had figured her out.

Five years later, Leonie still could remember that fateful day of Byleth's death, and shuddered. She was in such a dark place, and was grateful to be able to exchange letters regularly with the other Deers. All took the loss pretty hard, but still, everyone mostly took the effort to comfort her.

Yep, everyone knew about it. Damn.

At the day where there should have been the Millenium Festival, Leonie insisted on returning to the monastery just like they promised each other. Even though Byleth was dead, at least one promise could be kept, if only partially.

Everything happened in a blur. She walked with Hilda, only to see Claude on his wyvern, killing off bandits with the rest of the former Deers and...

No...Never before did she fight her way through bandits so effortlessly like that day. She reached him and tackled him to the ground. Most enemies were already in disarray anyway.

She sat up to see him, his damn cute face and green eyes. And that slight smirk he held.

"How are you here, how are you alive?"

"I don't know. Apparently, I was asleep for a long time. It's been five years, hasn't it?"

Leonie punched him in the chest, over and over again until tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Leonie. You look so beautiful when you smile.", he said. Goddess, how had she missed his deep, calm voice.

She chuckled, and without a second thought, leaned down to capture his lips in the passionate entanglement she missed so much. No matter how much time had passed, her heart ached for him, it belonged to him. She longed for his touch, for his kiss, and now she had him again.

She even missed his taste. Even though it sounded lewd, she didn't care.

His one hand went to the small of her back, while the other entangled itself in his hair. Byleth pulled her in even deeper.

"Ahem. Professor, isn't it a bit unprofessional to...get busy with your student while the others are watching?", Lorenz interrupted uncomfortably, his cheeks pink from the display of affection.

Leonie sat up, her chest heaving from her breathlessness and turned around to see Claude and Hilda smirk, while the others just looked as uncomfortable as Lorenz did. Lysithea, Marianne and Ignatz couldn't surpress their heavy red blushes.

When she looked down, she saw how suggestive their pose looked.

Their eyes met. Unsurprisingly, there was no confusion in his eyes from her reaction. He had missed her too, no matter how long he had been asleep, and he knew that once they saw each other again, something like this would happen.

She stood up and offered her arm to pull up Byleth. He smiled down at her, and she up at him. They had a lot of catching up to do.

The reunited Golden Deers planned their strategy, they woukd enter the war as part of the Alliance. Their first target would be the Great Bridge of Myrrdin.

Though, for now, Leonie had something else on her mind. A long forgotten promise, begging to be fulfilled.

She approached Byleth, who was sitting under a tree in the shadows.

'Ok remember: Act like a girl would. Hilda gave you all the advice you needed. Be polite and not too boisterous.'

"Hello, prof..", she started, but his stern eyes interrupted her.

"Hello, Byleth.", she corrected with a sheepish smile.

"Hello Leonie. How can I help you?", he asked.

"It's just... um, how do I say it.. do you remember the ball five years ago?", she asked.

"Of course I do.", he smiled. "I hope you weren't afraid that I forgot."

Leonie blushed and watched Byleth reach around the tree to grab a basket and a blanket.

"A picnic would be fitting, don't you think?", Byleth asked.

Her stomach grumbled, and she smiled. "I would love to have one, Byleth. But were did you get the supplies from?", Leonie wondered.

"Oh, I passed through a village and asked for a few rations. Luckily enough, they were very nice so we got a few meals for everyone.", he explained while spreading the blanket over the grass.

'After five years, he still planned our date.'

"Byleth, you have no idea how much I've missed you.", she muttered while placing herself on the soft blanket.

He looked at her, waiting for Leonie to continue.

"I still can't believe you're alive. When you fell down, I became so depressed. I couldn't fulfill my promise to reunite with you at the Millenium festival, to go on a date with you, to protect you. I never felt so weak in my life. When I saw you alive again, I feared you maybe didn't want to date me anymore, I.."

'Goddess, shut up Leonie! He doesn't want to hear you lament on and on, what's wrong with you?'

She stopped rambling when she felt him embrace her in a hug. He rubbed her back affectionately.

"I understand, Leonie. I'm sorry, my own foolishness led me down that cliff. But please, do not doubt my intentions. It had been so hard to endure being your professor. I yearned to fulfill my promise to you as well. Don't worry, alright?"

She nodded into his chest and sighed in content. Goddess, even his earthen, manly smell was something she missed. Then, they started digging in. Both of them were incredibly hungry.

Byleth and Leonie devoured the chicken meat like predators and chugged down a large mug of beer. Despite her best efforts, she didn't realize how drained she was from her march to the monastery and all the fighting she and her friends did.

"Mm, that's so good.", Leonie told while continuing to devour the delicious food. Byleth just nodded, while taking a gulp of his beverage.

Involuntarily, when Leonie gulped down the last parts of her chicken, she released a rather big burp. She slapped her hand against her mouth and got red like a tomato.

'Ahhh, stupid. How the hell is that girlish? Do you want to ruin your first date with Byleth?'

However, when she heard a deep noise, she looked up to see Byleth laughing while trying to gulp down the remains of his food without choking.

"What's so funny?", she asked in an accusatory tone, crossing her arms and releasing a 'hmpf'.

"Your burp, it sounded really funny, but it's one of a beginner. *Burp*. See, this one was far better."

"Oh yeah?", she challenged and lunged at him. They wrestled a bit and she had him pinned down by his wrists pretty quickly.

"Not so confident now, huh?"

With seemingly no effort, he wriggled out from under her and now pinned her down in the same way.

"You were saying?", he told with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes but looked into his eyes a bit hesitantly.

"You're not disgusted by my manners? I know I'm not very womanly."

Without another word, Byleth leaned down to capture her soft lips in a chaste kiss. Even though it was quick, it left her breathless.

"No, I think your mannerism are rather... endearing. There is no woman I'd rather be with.", he told her truthfully, still pinning her. She glanced into his passionate gaze and let her cheeks be claimed by a red tinge.

"Even though I act like a pig sometimes?"

"Yes. I am aware that I can come off as rather cold and uncaring at times, and your blunt way of handling life and not caring about all kinds of etiquette is something I very much appreciate."

He drew back his hands to grip her slim waist and leaned down to give her another chaste kiss. Though quickly, she gripped him by his neck to draw him in even further and deepen their liplock.

They parted with a smile and red cheeks, and Byleth sat up to lean against the tree. He spread his legs and patted the space between them.

Heavily blushing, Leonie crawled over and sat down to lean back into his hard chest. She released a sigh and closed her eyes to enjoy the shadow the tree provided for them. He circled his arms around her stomach to draw her in even closer.

Her next words escaped her mouth before she even fully realized what she said.

"I love you, Byleth. Ever since I met you. Now that I fulfilled one promise, I vow to protect you till the very end."

There, she said it. It felt so natural. She loved him, she had always loved him.

Byleth's right arm left her stomach to gently tilt her head towards him by cupping her jaw, and his lips found hers again. He just couldn't get enough of them, and their intimate pose made it even more addicting.

"I love you too, Leonie. I'm so sorry it took so long, but now, I will not leave again, and I will protect you with all I have as well. I promise."


End file.
